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 Full Article
01/01/2009
WHAT'S IN OUR WATER SUPPLY

                                        WHAT IS IN OUR WATER SUPPLY

I think we are all familiar with the fact that the water that comes into our homes is not pure. So what does it contain and is it bad for us?

You can expect the typical UK water supply to contain some of the following listed below.

  • Nitrates
  • Trihalomethanes
  • Pesticides
  • Salts of
  • Chlorine
  • Flouride compounds
    • Arsenic
    • Copper
    • Lead
    • Mercury
    • Cadmuim
    • Radium

Your water supply company will have an accurate list on their websites. For those in the London area check out this link.

http://www.thameswater.co.uk/water-quality-reports/z0101-richmond.pdf

Don't be shocked however as many of these are naturally occurring, some though are added to your water for varying reasons. Take Flouride and Chlorine. Chlorine is a disinfectant and is used to kill bugs, Flouride for Oral hygiene. Good idea most of us think! but is it bad for us. Of course it is. You never get something for nothing.

So lets focus on Chlorine. What is it and what is it used for, what are the downsides and what can we do about neutralising its effects.

                                                     CHLORINE

The use of chlorine in water systems began in the late 19th century as a way to combat diseases like cholera and typhoid, a task at which it was quite effective. As the levels of such diseases began to drop, municipal water systems began a veritable love affair with chlorine and inserted more and more of it into the water. Chlorine is a powerful combatant against many parasites and disease-causing pathogens because of its harsh nature. Chlorine, though, is also a poison. Just as its harshness attacks pathogens and parasites, it attacks delicate body tissues when breathed or absorbed through the skin.

So what is it? At atmospheric pressure and room temperature, elemental chlorine is a gas. It is yellowish-green and has the characteristic smell of bleach. When pressurised and cooled it becomes a liquid. Once released it reverts to a gas again. We are lead to believe that when added to water in its small concentrations it has no adverse effects on the human body. Wrong, many studies have been carried out proving adverse effects.

Why still use it then in the 21st Century, surely we have advanced enough since its first introduction to have a better solution for our water supplies. Of course we have. So why do they still use it. Purely financial, its cheap.

An even worse fact is that when Chlorine mixes with other compounds in the water it forms Trihalomethanes or THMs for short. These have been proven to be carcinogenic.

I am sure if you have got as far as reading this you will be able to easily research all the facts yourself. I feel it wrong to put unnecessary facts to promote a product but will list a few of the nasties below.

One of the most shocking components to all of these studies is that up to 2/3s of our harmful exposure to chlorine is due to inhalation of steam and skin absorption while showering. A warm shower opens up the pores of the skin and allows for accelerated absorption of chlorine and other chemicals in water.

The steam we inhale while showering can contain up to 50 times the level of chemicals than tap water due to the fact that chlorine and most other contaminants vaporize much faster and at a lower temperature than water. Inhalation is a much more harmful means of exposure since the chlorine gas (chloroform) we inhale goes directly into our blood stream. When we drink contaminated water the toxins are partially filtered out by our kidneys and digestive system.

Chlorine vapors are known to be a strong irritant to the sensitive tissue and bronchial passages inside our lungs, it was used as a chemical weapon in World War I. The inhalation of chlorine is a suspected cause of asthma and bronchitis, especially in children, which has increased 300% in the last two decades. "Showering is suspected as the primary cause of elevated levels of chloroform in nearly every home because of chlorine in the water." Dr Lance Wallace, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

Chlorine in shower water also has a very negative cosmetic effect, robbing our skin and hair of moisture and elasticity, resulting in a less vibrant and youthful appearance. It has harsh effects on the skin, scalp and hair and can be attributed to the many skin complaints we seem to have these days.

I think the above will give an insight into the clear facts that chlorine in the water during the showering process is bad for you. If not think back in time. There are all sorts of ailments that our population never suffered from. Skin complaints on the increase, respiratory problems on the increase. Why I ask, we have never bathed or showered so much in the history of man kind. There could just be some truth in what the research points to.

So what can we do, filter out the chlorine may well be a good start. Check out PuraStream on this site A new concept in showering.

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